The Silver Fox and the Wood Elf
by gamma pedro
Summary: Getsuei and Jasmine are asked by Albus Dumbledore to look after young Harry Potter and ensure he stays alive and well to face the Dark Lord Voldemort. Plenty of surprises come up along the way for these two as they struggle to protect Harry and prepare him and Hogwarts for what's to come.
1. Chapter 1

_Hey guys. _

_This is my first fic and it's being co-written by myself and a friend. I'll upload these when I can, but I'll try for at least one chapter per week. There are no pairings for now, but we are open to suggestions. Reviews are very much appreciated and flames will be used to cook burgers.  
_

_This is NOT a self-insert. The OCs are WAY cooler than us._

_Enjoy!_

_- Gamma_

_**Chapter 1**_

*Sigh*

"What?"

"Why did we get dragged into this?"

"Because we owe the old man a favour."

"Right, right…Why do we owe him?"

"Does the name Gellert mean anything to you?"

*Groan*

*Smacks arm* "Stop that!"

"Fine! Geez, Jaz!" I complained, rubbing my arm while my best friend Jasmine and I walked down King's Cross Station in search for our platform. She can be so irritable sometimes.

"Quit your whining, Getsuei! You're two-hundred and fifty-three years old!" Jasmine scolded me, dropping her voice into a whisper when she mentioned my age. "Act your age!"

I rolled my eyes, earning me another smack on the shoulder. "Okay," I stopped fooling around and just glanced at my train ticket. "So, Platform 9 ¾?" I raised my eyebrow at the name.

"Apparently the entrance is supposed to be located between platforms 9 and 10," Jasmine explained, eyeing me curiously. "How long has it been since you went to Hogwarts?"

"Let's see…a few years after the American Revolution?" I replied, when she tilted her heard, I clarified, "It was for the last Tri-wizard Tournament that actually had a winner. They didn't have trains back then, not that we would've ridden it anyway."

"I went a bit over forty years ago because one of the professors invited me to a party," Jasmine told me. "A professor Slughorn, I think his name was. He was somewhat pleasant." I nodded my head thoughtfully.

Jasmine and I aren't normal magical beings, in case you haven't already gathered. In fact, we're not even human. My friend Jasmine Oakwood is what people call a Wood Elf. She was born in June 21st, 1759 and was actually present during the Revolutionary War in the US, mostly due to her family's forest being used as a base of operations at various points in the war.

I, on the other hand, am called Getsuei Tanaka, and no, I'm no elf. I was born and raised in Kyoto, Japan, where no elves are known to reside unless they wanted to go insane at the amount of different types of magical beings and creatures. I am what's known in Japanese folklore as a Kitsune, magical fox people that are known for their longevity and have a reputation as pranksters and tricksters. I was born in the Kyoto forests on January 14th, 1740.

Since, we were "transferring" in to Hogwarts as third-years, we saw it fit to alter our physical appearances to look like our thirteen-year-old selves. Jasmine's current form stands at about 5'2, and has a light, muscular build. She's fair-skinned and has mismatching eyes: her right one being grey-blue and the left one being jade-green, which is hidden by her brown, wavy hair.

My form stands at 5'5 and has a lean, muscular build. I have fair skin, much like my American counterpart, and bright, blue eyes. My hair tends to be the thing that draws people's attention the most since it's silver and tends to appear windswept, despite my efforts to smooth it down, which is the reason for my name, which translates to "moon". Another distinct feature is my elongated canines, which quite a few of my students back in Kyoto think are so "kawaii."

"Anyway," Jasmine continued, while we passed Platform 5. "Albus said we have to go through that barrier between the platforms to reach Platform 9 ¾."

"Don't Norms think it's weird to see a bunch of teenagers with carts topped with cages with owls?" I deadpanned as I saw several kids fitting my description pass by. "Don't they at least use Shrinking Charms? Good grief."

Jasmine shrugged and I sighed. The British have gotten a bit complacent over the centuries.

"I still don't see why Albus called in a favour now of all times," I continued my brief rant. "Usually, it's people who need _his_ help. I mean, I'm glad he finally thinks he isn't infallible, but what drove him to ask _us_ to protect someone who Magical Britain lovingly addresses as 'The Boy Who Lived?'"

Jasmine responded with a question, "Did you read the file I sent you?"

I laughed a bit and responded with, "What file?"

She sighed. "Of course not," she muttered while pulling a shrunken folder and enlarging it with a tap of her wand. She handed it to me while we walked by platform 6. "According to Albus and some of our sources in Britain, Harry Potter's a bit shorter than most of his classmates. We suspect it's due to mistreatment and malnutrition received by his Norm relatives."

I looked down at the file. There was a moving picture of a small, thin boy with untidy, black hair and green eyes with a lightning-bolt scar on his forehead. Jaz was right; he looks a bit skinny and barely looks like he's in his teens.

I growled low enough that only Jasmine could hear. I shrunk the folder and stuffed it in my pocket. "I need to make a nutrient and developmental potion for him. If he's to succeed in what Albus has planned, he needs to be fit. We also need to see to it that he doesn't live with those relatives of his…the Dursleys," I said softly.

Jasmine nodded solemnly. "Albus has that home protected through blood wards. The only way he'll allow someone to take him in is if the new home is as or more secure than that house in Surrey."

"So, basically, we have to find a living relative?"

"Pretty much."

I sighed. "It's gonna be a long year."

"You said it."

We finally arrived at the barrier between platforms 9 and 10. I looked at Jasmine who was smiling at me and gesturing at the entrance to 9 ¾.

I laughed and shook my head and made a gesture meaning "Ladies first."

She stepped toward the entrance shaking her head and made like she was stepping through…

And then she shoved me through the barrier before entering herself.


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. The OCs, however, belong to myself and my writing partner, HellaRose._

_Enjoy the chapter!_

**Chapter 2**

Once on the train, Jasmine and I searched the cabins for an empty one. If we couldn't find one, we would get one with the Potter kid. It seemed that the first option was out, so we looked for the cabin where Harry and his friends would be.

We stopped at one cabin near the back. "Jasmine," I began. "Remember to not reveal that you know anything about them."

Jasmine scoffed and put on a mock-offended look. "Me?"

I rolled my eyes before knocking on the door and poking my head in to look at the occupants. Harry Potter was there of course, in all of his scrawny glory. The other three I was not so familiar with. One was a fairly attractive girl once you got past the bushy hair and overbite. She was carrying what looked like some type of kneazle. Another had bright red hair and a long nose with freckles. The last occupant was fairly non-responsive. He appeared to be asleep. He might be that new Defense professor Albus told us about.

"Excuse me," I got the group's attention. "Mind if my friend and I sit in here? We're not fans of large crowds and loud places.

"Sure, come in!" the girl replied with a smile.

"Thanks so much." I smiled back and took the seat nearest to the door next to Harry while Jasmine sat directly across from me next to the girl who introduced herself as Hermione Granger and her orange half-kneazle as Crookshanks.

"Nice to meet you, Ms. Granger," I said before introducing myself, "My name's Getsuei Tanaka and that's my friend Jasmine Oakwood."

The redhead introduced himself. "Name's Ron Weasley," he said before shaking my hand and Jasmine's.

The black-haired boy introduced himself last. "I'm Harry Potter," he said with a small smile as he shook our hands. "What year are you two in? You don't seem very familiar."

"That's because this is our first time on this train," I answered

At their confused silence, Jasmine continued. "We're both transfer students. He's from the Kyoto Institute of the Magical Arts in Japan and I'm from the New Salem Academy of Magic in the United States."

"Hogwarts has a transfer program?" Hermione asked. "I've never heard of such a thing."

I shrugged and said, "Your Headmaster thought it'd be a good idea to get Hogwarts students to know a bit about foreign countries and their magic communities. Our headmasters agreed that it'd be a good idea to learn from the youth in Magical Britain and improve international ties." What I didn't mention was that Jasmine and I were actually professors at our respective schools. Jasmine taught Herbology at New Salem while I taught Transfiguration and substituted for Potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts at Kyoto.

"So, how do you two know each other?" Ron asked while eyeing the two of us curiously.

"Jasmine and I actually met one (hundred and thirty) years ago during my summer break where my family and I went to Salem to see some family friends. (We were helping protect her family's forests during the US Civil War.)" I gave Jasmine a smile, which she returned.

"We've been exchanging letters and meeting up during breaks when we can," Jasmine shot me an amused look. She meant that I, at various times, attempted to drag her away from grading papers to watch league Quidditch matches. She went with me most of the time.

"Any of you play Quidditch?" Jasmine asked. "Getsuei here loves it. Sometimes he'd spend hours at a time riding a broom, or so his siblings tell me," I pouted kicked her leg lightly at the teasing, much to the amusement of the other occupants.

"Oh, I love Quidditch!" Ron exclaimed happily. "I'm not on the team yet, but my brothers Fred and George are Beaters for our House team, and Harry here is their Seeker," he finished, motioning to Harry who was smiling slightly.

"Really?" I looked at Harry beside me. "What broom do you fly?"

"I fly a Nimbus 2000," Harry replied. "Haven't lost a match on it."

"Well, you'd better be careful this year," I warned him. "Last I heard the Firebolt was released here in Britain. I'd be wary of what the Slytherins would do with those brooms."

Hermione spoke up. "How do you know about our Houses?"

"Jasmine here made me read _Hogwarts: A History_ over the summer," I explained with a mock-dismayed tone. "If you want to talk to someone about books, talk to this one," I continued, nodding at Jasmine. "She practically carries a library around wherever she goes."

Hermione smiled brightly at this and began conversing with Jasmine while the boys and I talked about Quidditch and our schools.

A few hours into the train ride, we were enjoying some food from the trolley and a lengthy conversation about dragons with Ron, since his brother Charlie works at the sanctuary in Romania, when, suddenly, the train began slow to a stop and the lights flickered ominously.

"What was that?" whispered Ron as he looked out the window. Crookshanks ducked under Hermione's legs and Jasmine tensed as the air began to get colder and the glass on the window began to frost over.

Jasmine and I glanced at each other and realization before I reached over and locked the door. "I think we have dementors outside," I informed the group. "How do I know? The glass is frosting in the middle of summer and there's an overwhelming feeling of despair going around." I looked at the still unconscious Professor Lupin and told Harry, "Harry, wake him up for me, would ya? Harry"

He didn't respond. He was visibly shaking and staring out the window with wide eyes.

At that moment I heard a click, followed by a gasp from Jasmine and Hermione. I quickly slammed on my Occlumency shields before turning and seeing a large, wraith-like figure in a black cloak slowly drifting into the cabin. I grasped Harry's shoulder tightly to get a reaction, but he was shaking even more now and by the looks of things the dementor wasn't going to leave without a quick snack so I thought, 'To hell with this,' and jabbed my wand in the cloaked creature's direction and uttered, "Expecto Patronum."

Out of my wand a white light erupted and from it emerged a fox which proceeded to chase out the dementor from the cabin and off the train at my silent command. Once the dementor was a good distance away, the fox Patronus dissolved and I sighed in relief and mild annoyance as Harry collapsed in his seat by a very distressed Professor Lupin.

"Anyone have some chocolate for him?" I asked the other occupants.

"And you said this year wouldn't be fun," Jasmine quipped with a smirk.

_Hope you liked it. Remember to review. I love to see other people's opinions and suggestions._

_-Gamma_


	3. Chapter 3

_This chapter was written in part by my friend HellaRose._

_-Gamma_

_Disclaimer: HP is owned by JK Rowling. The OCs are MINE!...and Hella's_

**Chapter 3**

-Through Jasmine's eyes-

Getsuei gave me a withering glare and I smiled brightly in response. Rolling his eyes he redirected his attention to Professor Lupin, who was rummaging through his trunk for the aforementioned chocolate. I smirked, happy I didn't need to give up my own stash of the delicious sweets.

"Bloody Hell, what was that?" Hermione turned to Ron and began to explain the Patronus Charm to the best of her ability. I ignored this and rummaged through my own chocolate stash, my fingers shaking as I looked for the helpful treat. Getsuei raised a brow as I made a small noise of triumph. Sticking out my tongue, I stared at the treat with joy- then quickly shoved it into my mouth, feeling my shaking hands calm down with the sweet.

"- but I don't understand how you know the Patronus Charm… Getsuei, right?" I tuned back into the conversation, listening quietly as my friend was being given a scrutinizing gaze.

"My parents always saw to it that I was prepared for any situation," he explained. "The Patronus Charm was actually one of the first things they made sure I learned during summer break." Hermione seemed skeptical at this explanation, but let it slide for now.

Her eyes suddenly turned to me and I smiled nervously in response, "Yes?" I asked.

"Did you know he could perform the Patronus Charm?" Hermione asked me, giving me the same look she gave to Getsuei.

I chuckled uneasily, fiddling with my robe, "Um… I- I should probably alert the conductor to give out hot chocolate to everyone, you know, because of the dementors. I'll be back in a bit!" I gave one of my dazzling smiles and rose to walk out. As I passed Getsuei, I whispered towards him, "Help me!"

I exited the cabin and sighed. "I hate lying," I whined, walking down towards the front of the train.

The train stopped at Hogsmeade and we all departed the metal contraption. When we stepped onto the platform, I felt less nervous and more content. I hate trains, and cars, and planes, and pretty any manmade objects now that I think about it. Getsuei tugged my robe's sleeve and I looked in the direction he indicated. I nodded my head and we walked off towards the carriages.

Which were being pulled by thestrals.

What?

I blinked, confused on why Albus would have thestrals tow the carriages.

Before continuing, the reason why we can see these creatures is because of all the deaths we have seen over the years; like the Revolution, seeing soldiers die in my forests, and WWII. It was sad times, unfortunately my family tended to keep me away from norms.

We boarded the closest carriage, two girls sitting on the other side. A girl with blonde hair and peculiar glasses and a red-head, most probably Ron's sister by her looks. An awkward silence fell upon us, until the blonde one started speaking.

"Are you two new here?"

I smiled in response. Finally something I could answer without lying, "Yes we are, I'm Jasmine and I'm from the New Salem Academy of Magic in the United States and Getsuei here is from the Kyoto Institute of the Magical Arts in Japan. We're here at Headmaster Dumbledore's request."

She didn't seem surprised, unlike the red-head. Instead, she merely smiled brightly and said, "I'm Luna Lovegood and this is my friend, Ginny Weasley."

"Nice to meet you," Ginny greeted us. I heard about what happened at the Chamber of Secrets from Albus. To think a twelve-year-old could kill a full-grown basilisk and pull Gryffindor's sword out of that Sorting Hat…speaking of which, I wonder how that foul-mouthed piece of headwear's doing. It's been too long since we talked and Albus never takes it out of the castle. I guess I'll see it soon enough.

"So you're from Japan?" Luna asked Getsuei. "I hear there's an enclave of Imperial Dragons living near Mount Hotaka."

I felt Getsuei stiffen at this. "Where'd you hear that?" he inquired in a conversational tone.

"The Quibbler," she answered simply, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "My father runs it and writes about the most amazing things. I think there are also families of foxes living near the valleys."

How does she know where Getsuei lives?

"Well that's very interesting. I'll be sure to look into that when I go back to Japan," Getsuei responded, betraying nothing. "I'm sure you've heard some interesting things about the United States," he still spoke calmly, but if you've known him as long as I have, you'd know it was a challenge.

My eyebrow twitched and I elbowed him in the side. He didn't even wince.

He was serious.

"I've been to the Green Mountain Forest in Vermont when I was eight," I gasped internally. "My dad told me the arrowheads and marks on the trees we found belonged to the elves that live there." I tugged furiously at Getsuei's sleeve.

How does she know!? What else does she know? Has she been spying on us? She better stay away from my forest! If she so much as lights a match in it, I'll—

"Jasmine," Getsuei's voice broke me away from my internal rant. "You're doing it again."

I pulled out a random Herbology magazine and stared at the pages as Ginny spoke up. "So, since you're being transferred, I'm guessing you'll have to be sorted into one of the Houses."

"Oh, yeah. I nearly forgot about that," Getsuei spoke since I was feeling too paranoid to speak rationally at the moment. "I'm guessing the reputations of the Houses are different from what the book tells us."

"Well, I'm in Gryffindor and Luna's in Ravenclaw," Ginny began to explain. "My brothers are also in Gryffindor: Ron, Fred, George, and Percy."

I looked up at Ginny and smiled. "We actually met Ron on the train," I told her. "He seems to have an unhealthy obsession with Quidditch. And food."

"That's Ron. Anyway, just so you two don't get any unpleasant surprises later, I should warn you a bit about my brothers. Ron can be a bit thick sometimes. He tends to jump to conclusions about things he doesn't understand. He thinks all Slytherins are Dark Wizards and that the Chudley Cannons are the best Quidditch team in the League."

Getsuei snorted at this. I rolled my eyes. Luna was gazing at us serenely.

"Fred and George are twins. They have a reputation in the school for being its top pranksters. They also have an annoying habit of finishing each other's sentences."

That reminded me of Getsuei's twin sisters Yumi and Yuki. They do the same thing. It's kind of creepy sometimes.

"And, lastly, there's our brother Percy. He's the type of person to follow the rules to the letter and gives no chance for anyone who doesn't. He's actually Head Boy this year so you should be a little careful."

"Duly noted," Getsuei and I spoke at once and nodded our heads in sync.

"There seems to be a very tense rivalry between Gryffindor and Slytherin," Luna added. "There's this group of Slytherins who tend to bully anyone outside their house if they can get away with it. Most of the time it's Harry, Ron, and Hermione."

Ginny and Luna spent the rest of the carriage ride explaining more things about Hogwarts and a few other interesting things while I eyed the blonde suspiciously on our way to the castle.

Interesting year, indeed.


	4. Chapter 4

_Hey, guys. Don't forget to review and all that good stuff.  
_

_-Gamma_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. The OCs, however, belong to me and my partner Rose_

**Chapter 4**

_-Getsuei's POV_

Soon enough we arrived at the castle. Jasmine was still looking a bit paranoid while I was fairly impressed with Luna's knowledge of various things. She and her father tend to travel a great deal so she might have learned of some of these things while with him. If not, she may have the Sight, which is very rare among humans, at least in Europe.

In other races, however, Seers are common, usually among centaurs, high elves, and Kitsune. Yumi and Yuki are Seers, but they don't go through those episodes that humans tend to experience when they have a prophecy. Depending on the severity of the vision, they prefer to drop hints or tell riddles if it's a trivial thing.

We caught up with Harry and his friends as we passed the double doors. Harry looked a bit worse for wear as Professor Lupin was making sure he was feeling fine. Ron and Hermione were still a bit unnerved.

"Hey guys," Jasmine greeted. "Is Harry feeling better?"

Hermione had a look of concern on her face. "He still looks pretty pale. He might have to go to the Hospital Wing."

"I'm fine, Hermione," Harry started weakly, but Lupin cut him off.

"No, you're not, Harry. We'll get you up there after speaking to Professor McGonagall," he told him as we neared the doors to the Great Hall, in front of which stood a strict looking witch in emerald robes waiting.

"Hey, Minerva," Lupin greeted as we stood to the side to allow the rest of the students entrance to the Hall.

"Mister Lupin, You may take Mister Potter to Madam Pomfrey," the professor said briefly, looking at the pale Harry with a stoic expression that was marked by a little concern.

"But Professor McGonagall, I feel fine," he once again tried to argue, but McGonagall shook her head.

"Nonsense, Mister Potter. We received a letter from Professor Lupin here explaining what happened on the train. The Headmaster would like you to go to the Hospital Wing this instant. Don't worry, food will be sent to you while you're there." Harry sighed in defeat and made to walk toward the stairs as the Professor turned to address Jasmine and me.

"As for you two, the Headmaster is waiting at the staff table. I'm sure you're the two he keeps telling me about," she looked a bit annoyed at the news she gave us. I'm sure Albus talked about Minerva or Minnie as he came to call her in some of his letters. Very strict, but always worrying for students and always has something to say about anything that displeased her.

Hermione perked up a bit at this. "You two know Professor Dumbledore?" she asked in surprise.

Jasmine and I exchanged a look as Lupin escorted Harry to the Hospital Wing. "Yeah, he likes to travel during his summers. We became acquainted during one of his visits to Kyoto. I guess I interested him enough to ask me to attend Hogwarts. The same could be said about Jasmine I suppose," I added as Jasmine shrugged.

I failed to mention that we actually met Albus while he was Nicholas Flamel's apprentice. Jasmine and I were asked by Nicholas and his wife Perenelle to teach little Albus about the magical beings and creatures unknown to most wizards and some of their cultures. Of course, as non-humans ourselves, we were able to provide a lot of useful information about our cultures and beliefs.

We also knew that Nick and Penny were still alive, but don't tell anyone.

We finally entered the Great Hall with the last of the students and approached the staff table at the back of the Hall where Albus Dumbledore sat smiling at us, his eyes twinkling madly.

"Good evening Professor/Hi Professor," Jasmine and I respectfully greeted him, remembering to add a bit of irony to our greetings.

"Jasmine, Getsuei, how nice it is to see you two again," he greeted us warmly. "Come around and sit with me. We have lots of catching up to do."

Jasmine and I quickly made our way around the table, noting that some of the students were looking at us strangely. I would be too if I saw a couple of new kids approaching the Headmaster like they knew him personally, which we did.

He had conjured up chairs on either side of him so I took the one on his right, Jasmine the one on this left. "So how was your train ride here?" he asked conversationally.

"Well, we did what you asked," I recapped. "We made some friends, talked to the new Defense professor and we were attacked by _dementors!" _I finished with a hiss. "What's up with that?"

"Seriously, Shippou, haven't you read the file?" Jasmine asked with exasperation, using my nickname as she did so.

"I haven't had time, Jaz," I hissed, crossing my arms childishly, making Albus chuckle.

"Well, Getsuei," Albus began, speaking loud enough so that only we could hear over the dull roar of students. "What you would've known is that Sirius Black escaped from Azkaban a few weeks ago." I nodded, glad he wasn't speaking in riddles like he loved to do to his students and staff. "Of course, the Ministry is on high alert because he's the first wizard to do so. They have Hogwarts under close watch because it's the most likely place for him to go."

"Sirius Black…Haven't I heard that name before?" I asked thoughtfully. "I'm sure you mentioned him in some of your letters a few years ago," meaning twenty or so years. "One of those troublemakers you were so fond of. What were they called? The Marauders?"

Albus nodded as Minerva walked back in to the Great Hall with the half-giant Hagrid and a crowd of nervous first years in tow. "We can discuss this another day in my office," he finished before shifting his attention to the Sorting Hat as it began to sing.

I sighed, leaning back on my chair, while I observed some of the students, Ron and Hermione to be more specific. They kept glancing in our direction. Catching their eyes once, I waved gleefully at them. Ron waved with enthusiasm, but Hermione bore a look of suspicion and a hint of jealousy at the image of Jasmine and I sitting with who is arguably the most powerful wizard in Britain. I'm pretty sure I caught an older redhead, most likely the older Weasley Percy mutter something like "lucky bastard."

I smiled a bit and paid attention as the Sorting began.

_Don't forget to review!_

_-Gamma_


	5. Chapter 5

_Enjoy this double-sized chapter! If you have any comments about this story please review!_

_-Gamma_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. The OCs belong to myself and my partner HellaRose_

* * *

**Chapter 5**

I had to magically suppress my hearing every time a student got sorted into Gryffindor or Slytherin. Fox ears are extremely sensitive and we thrive in open spaces because of that; the same could be said about elves. I looked at Jasmine and noticed her grimacing and twitching at every outburst. There was I reason I didn't like crowds.

After the last firstie was sorted, Albus rose from his seat. "Now then, to all of the first years, I would like to say welcome to Hogwarts," he said. "And to all my returning students, welcome back. Before we begin the feast, I'd like to give a few announcements."

"Firstly," he began, "I'd like to introduce your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Remus Lupin!" He gestured at the man who was now entering the Great Hall after dropping Harry off at the Hospital Wing, who was met with generous applause as he sheepishly made it to the staff table.

"Secondly, I would like to introduce your new teacher for Care of Magical Creatures, Professor Rubeus Hagrid!" the half-giant was met with scattered applause. It was stronger among Gryffindors, but everyone except most of the Slytherin table offered polite applause.

"Please wish our new professors luck in this coming school year. Next, I'd like to introduce some new students who are transferring as third years, and I believe they are yet to be sorted," he gestured for Jasmine to stand. "Miss Jasmine Oakwood is a transfer from New Salem Magical Academy in the United States. Give her a hand." She was met with generous applause as she made her way down to the stool with the Sorting Hat.

-Jasmine's POV

To say the least, I was nervous; I took calming breaths as I sidled up to the stool, my lips curling up into a smile.

Professor McGonagall held the Sorting Hat as I gracefully sat down on the wobbly stool. My hands were folded neatly in my lap, to keep them from messing with my robes, as she set the Sorting Hat on my head.

"_Jasmine! It's been far too long," _the Sorting Hat exclaimed in my mind. I smiled brightly.

"_Hey, hat. How have you been? I hope Albus is treating you right?"_

"_Oh, that old goat hasn't taken me out of the castle in decades. I keep asking him to take me to the beach when he goes on his trips, but he keeps me in the office with that overgrown chicken of his!" _I giggled, making Minerva raise an eyebrow on her otherwise indifferent expression.

"_Oh, come on, Hat. Fawkes isn't that bad," _I came to the phoenix's defense._ "You two spend a lot of time together so wouldn't you two at least be friends."_

"_Eh, he's all right," _the Hat amended_. "He's the only one who can get Albus to at least let me go around the halls during the day and just last May, Fawkes took me down to the Chamber of Secrets!" _it finished happily_._

I smiled_. "I heard about what happened. How did that go?"_

"_Absolutely brilliant! I haven't been down there since Salazar gave Godric the tour after it was finished. It was a bit gloomier than I remember, and I don't recall there being a Basilisk down there, or a gigantic statue of old Snake-head's face for that matter," _he said thoughtfully_. "That Potter boy did pretty well against that thing for a twelve-year-old._

"_Yeah," _I agreed. Filing that information about the Chamber for later._ "Did Albus tell you why Getsuei and I are here?"_

"_Oh, yes. The Goat wants you to protect Potter and prepare the school for what's to come."_

"_Then you probably know which House to put us in, right?" _

"_So, no Slytherin this time?" _the Hat asked jokingly. I grinned.

"_Nope. Not this time, sorry."_

"_Well fine."_

"GRYFFINDOR!" it bellowed as the Lions' table erupted in cheers. I flinched at the loud noise, but kept on smiling.

I caught Getsuei's eye as I made my way to my new Housemates and smiled as he grinned back. I sat down next to Ron and across Hermione who sat next to a pair of redheaded twins; Fred and George?

Ron patted my back, "Great to have you in Gryffindor Jasmine!"

I chuckled, "Glad to be here Ron."

I looked over to Hermione and hesitated as I saw her scrutinizing gaze. She finally offered a smile before I turned back towards the staff table.

Before anything else could be said or done, Albus announced Getsuei's turn.

-Getsuei's POV

"Mister Getsuei Tanaka here is from the Kyoto Institute of the Magical Arts in Japan," Albus introduced me. I stood as I heard the applause and made my way to the stool.

"_How's it goin', you moldy, foul-mouthed head accessory?"_ I greeted after putting it on.

"_Pretty well, you over-grown fur-ball," _the Sorting Hat returned the polite greeting.

I chuckled. _"I missed you, Hat."_

I heard a noise that sounded like a laugh. _"Likewise, Tanaka. As fun as it would be to swap stories, I'm feeling quite tired between the singing and Sorting tonight," _the Hat said apologetically. I raised an eyebrow. Could hats get tired? _"But do visit Albus's office every once in a while. You and I could play cards with the chicken and the Goat like we used to."_

I laughed at the Hat's nicknames for Albus and Fawkes. _"I'd like that. I'm sure Albus and Jasmine told you the plan?" _I inquired.

"_Yeah, I heard your plan. I hope you two know what you're doing…"_

"GRYFFINDOR!" it bellowed and a split-second later, the aforementioned House's table erupted in cheers as I took the hat off and handed it to my new Head of House and made my way to my new Housemates.

As I made my way to the table, I noticed a few strange looks and whispers among the polite applause. I sat down next to Jasmine and raised an eyebrow at her.

"What?" she asked, raising her visible eyebrow.

"Have you noticed the weird looks? It looks like more and more people have been doing that since we entered the castle."

"Well, you two are new students. I don't think Hogwarts ever had transfer students," Ron offered.

"It could be your hair," Jasmine added, ruffling my silver hair. We both chuckled.

"Or it could be what you pulled on the train when the dementors came," Hermione said from across the table.

The twins sitting across from us paid attention at Hermione's statement. "On the train?" one clarified.

"What'd he do?" the other one asked.

"Getsuei here performed a full Patronus to drive the dementors away," Hermione provided.

"That was you?" one asked.

"Really?" the other said as more whispers broke out down our table and the Hufflepuff table next to ours.

I groaned, burying my face in my hands. "So much for subtlety," I grumbled as Albus stood once more.

"Excellent!" he exclaimed. "Now that the Sorting is over I'd like to make one more announcement."

When the Hall went quiet, he continued, "As most of you know, someone has escaped from Azkaban prison since this is the first time anyone has done so, the Ministry of Magic has sent dementors to guard Hogwarts and protect the school because this is the most likely place for the fugitive to try to enter.

"Now, with that in mind, continue with what you usually do. Just remember to stay away from the Forbidden Forest, respect your classmates, and, by all means, dig in!"

At that, the food appeared in front of us. Apparently Albus alerted the House-elves that Jasmine and I were coming, otherwise there wouldn't have been large plates of dango and red bean soup in front of me and a large bowl of salad in front of Jasmine.

Oh, Albus. You know us so well.

"By the way," Ron spoke up. "Jasmine, Getsuei, these are my brothers, Fred and George," he gestured at the twins, who shook our hands in greeting.

"I hear you two made quite a name for yourselves here," I told them with a grin, remembering what Ginny told us on the carriages.

"Well, it looks like our reputation precedes us, brother of mine," George told his brother.

"Quite right, brother of mine," Fred responded. "It looks like we're well-known to our two new students,"

"Well, your headmaster warned us about your antics," Jasmine joked.

I put on an expression of mock-confusion. "Warned? Is that what it sounded like? I could have sworn he said to watch out for them."

"He meant watch for as in keep away."

"Nonsense, Jazzy, dear," I said patronizingly, earning me a playful smack on the shoulder. "I'm sure Headmaster Dumbledore told us to make these following years as memorable as possible. How else to do so than by joining forces with the famous Terror Twins?" I finished by gesturing at the twins in across from us.

"Well, to be fair, they got that name from playing Quidditch," Ron spoke up.

"Right, you are, Ronniekins!" Fred confirmed.

"Been playing since our second year," George said."

"We're beaters," they said in unison.

Jasmine stared at them in wonder. Hermione leaned across to say, "They do that a lot." I smiled. They'd get right along with my sisters.

"Speaking of Quidditch, are there any open spots on the House team?" Jasmine asked them, hurriedly moving away from the prank topic. The twins exchanged a look.

"Well…no," Fred slowly began.

"But we are offering reserve spots for those who want them," George finished.

"Wood's holding tryouts in two weeks," Fred said.

"Do you play?" they asked at once. Jasmine was, once again, surprised. I laughed at her expression until she elbowed my side.

She said, "I don't, but Getsuei does."

"I usually go for either chaser or seeker, but I'll play anywhere," I provided.

"Great! We could use a well-rounded player!" The twins grinned in unison.

"But, what about you?" Fred turned a slightly confused look towards Jasmine.

"Yeah, you were pretty quick to say you don't play." George copied his twin, but with a more interested look.

I watched Jasmine turn her head away from the twins' gaze, but not before seeing her cheeks erupt into a light blush.

I chuckled and came to her defense, "Jasmine here doesn't play. She fails epically at Quidditch."

At that, she began swinging wildly at my arm saying, "Shut up!" making everyone nearby chuckle.

With a pout, she went back to eating her salad, "It's not my fault I flew into that wall; the sun was in my eyes."

"Right and what about that time with getting stuck upside down in a sycamore tree; what caused that, Jaz?" I smirked playfully while moving on to my second stick of dango.

She gave me a playful glare in return, "There was a sudden gust of wind that time, Shippou. Now, stop embarrassing me and let me eat."

"Yes, dear."

She punched my shoulder again as those within earshot laughed.

* * *

Upon our arrival at the Gryffindor common room, we spotted a melancholic looking Harry who was sitting in front of the fireplace. While the fifth year prefects pulled the first years to a corner, Ron, Hermione, Jasmine, and I approached him.

"You okay, Harry?" Hermione asked.

He seemed to have been spacing out for a while, because he shook his head and turned to us with a confused look. "Yeah… I'm fine. Just… thinking about things, I guess."

Jasmine and I exchanged a look. We've met a few people who have experienced dementor attacks and turn extremely depressed for a while and try to relive the memory of the loved one they saw die.

We were making to leave when Ron stopped us and gave us an apologetic smile. He then cleared his throat and said, "Well, Harry, guess who's part of Gryffindor now?"

Jasmine and I smiled and waved at him. He forgot his moodiness for a moment and smiled back. "I guess we'll be seeing a lot of each other," he said standing up. "I came down here to wait for you guys so I guess we can go to bed now. Good night, guys," he walked back to the boys' dorm.

I looked at Ron, but he just shrugged and made to follow Harry. "Well, g'night," he said and went up the stairs.

I turned back to a confused Jasmine and Hermione. I just gave an apologetic smile and made my way to the stairs. "Good night, ladies. Oh, and Jasmine, don't forget we have to talk to the Headmaster about a few things sometime this week." I waved and walked up to the dormitories to meet the rest of my dorm mates.

* * *

_Don't forget to review! I want to know what you guys think._

_Also, stay tuned for another OC-centric HP fic that's comming soon: Harry Potter and the Son of Lestrange._

_-Gamma_


	6. Chapter 6

_Sorry for the wait. I had a few school things to work on. Anthropology papers, exams, speeches and the like. Hella and I worked on this until 2am this morning. _

_I hope you enjoy this one and don't forget to review!_

_-Gamma_

_Disclaimer: __I don't own Harry Potter. The OCs, however, belong to myself and HellaRose._

* * *

**Chapter 6**

I found myself back in Great Hall with Jasmine, Harry, Ron, and Hermione eating breakfast and awaiting our schedules.

Well... most of us were eating.

I don't know what you call whatever it was Ron was doing, but I'd hardly call it eating. As soon as we arrived, he piled his plate high with pancakes, eggs, and toast and began stuffing his mouth as if he were starving for food.

"Honestly, Ronald," Hermione scolded him. "Chew with your mouth closed."

Ron stopped mid-bite. "What?" he asked with is his mouth full.

Jasmine and I grimaced simultaneously before going back to our food, purposely avoiding looking at Ron and focusing our attention to Harry who seemed to be a bit out of it while he ate his food absentmindedly.

"You okay, Harry?" Jasmine asked him. "You seem a bit out of it."

"Huh?" Harry looked up, and then shook his head, as if to clear his thoughts. "I'm fine," he muttered.

"Leave him be, Jaz," I told her, then projected my thoughts to her_. "You know how people get after dementor attacks. He'll get over it soon, so long as he doesn't do anything stupid." _I smiled at Harry at Jasmine's nod.

As a wood elf, Jasmine is able to communicate her thoughts to animals and receive theirs. That ability only works for one creature a day, since it requires a good deal of energy to maintain.

"So, what classes did you guys pick for this year?" I asked, attempting to change the topic.

Some muffled mess came from Ron's mouth as he yet again attempted to speak with his mouth full. Hermione sighed in exasperation and berated Ron yet again. "Ron! Swallow before you speak! I'm pretty sure your mother didn't teach you to eat like a savage!"

Ron whined like a puppy, but didn't speak as he attempted to chew and swallow his food while Harry, Jasmine and I laughed at the exchange. "What about you, Harry?" Jasmine asked, taking a sip of her apple juice.

"You'll see in a moment, Miss Oakwood," Minerva said as she approached our group with a stack of schedules in her hands. Handing them around to us, she said, addressing us "I do hope you two stay out of trouble this year. Trouble seems to follow these three wherever they go," she finished, gesturing at Harry, Ron, and Hermione with a tone that, to those who don't know her well, wouldn't register it as a joke.

I simply smiled and told her, "Don't worry Professor. We'll stay away from any trouble." "_That you know of," _I added mentally, earning me a sharp elbow from Jasmine.

Minerva sighed at my extremely subtle sarcasm and handed us our schedules. "I hear the Headmaster is overly fond of _Kit Kat _bars_,_" she said, adding subtle emphasis to the last three words. "He hopes you brought some for him to enjoy after dinner," she added before continuing to the other students.

I rolled my eyes at the message: Albus wants to meet in his office after dinner. I turned to Jasmine. "Do you think she meant that the password was '_Kit Kat_ bars,' or that he actually wants _Kit Kat_ bars?" I asked.

She stared at me briefly. I could have sworn a dark look crossed her features before she replied, "I hope it's the first one. He's not getting near my stash."

"Umm, what?" asked Hermione, Harry and Ron simultaneously, obviously confused at the exchange.

"Well, Jasmine's crazy about chocolate, Wizard or Norm," I attempted to explain.

"Norm?" Hermione asked.

"What you call Muggle," I clarified before continuing. "She always keeps a stash nearby and absolutely refuses to share any of it unless it's absolutely necessary, especially _Kit Kat _bars."

"He's not getting any. I don't care if he's the Queen of England, he's not getting any." She stopped her muttering and looked to see our new friends and other people sitting nearby staring confusedly. She loudly proclaimed, "And if I catch any of you attempting to touch my stash, I will hex you into obliv—"

I quickly slapped my hand over her mouth and said, "Well, looks like it's time to get going to class!" I glanced at our schedules. "We both have Arithmancy, Jazzy," I exclaimed as she attempted to bite my palm. I gathered our things and dragged her out with schedules and bags in hand.

* * *

Arithmancy wasn't so bad, mostly since I already knew all that was being covered. I wasn't very surprised to see Hermione there, but I was pretty confused when I heard from Ron that she went to Divination with him and Harry.

Being a Transfiguration Professor back at Kyoto, I was fairly bored during Minerva's class since I was already very well-versed in the theory and was absentmindedly turning my teacup into a guinea pig and back throughout the class while Minerva kept directing the most complicated answers at me when Hermione couldn't answer just so she had an excuse to award Gryffindor points with a barely-contained smirk.

* * *

-Jasmine's POV

Transfiguration was fun, but I was excited to be going to Care for Magical Creatures. I couldn't contain my joy as I skipped ahead of our group towards Hagrid's hut.

Ron leaned towards Getsuei, "Hey mate, what's up with her?"

Getsuei answered while watching me flit around like a hummingbird, "She happens to have a strong… connection to nature and a great love of mythical creatures. Don't worry, though. She'll be back to normal after the lesson."

I smiled happily, as we followed Hagrid to wherever it was we were going. When we finally arrived at a clearing, I stroked the spine of my 'monster' book, trying to hide a chuckle as Neville's book attacked the poor boy. Deciding to ignore what Draco's group was doing towards Harry's, I turned to Getsuei and asked in a hushed tone, "Don't you think it's strange that Albus hasn't really done anything discipline-wise to make sure things like that—" nodding at the exchange as Hermione pulled Harry away from the jeering Slytherins " –doesn't happen?"

Getsuei sighed. "You know he prefers that his Heads of House take care of disciplinary actions," he explained. "But it does worry me that the Houses are so divided. According to what Nick said, the Founders were always great friends, especially Godric and Salazar."

Before I could reply, Hagrid reappeared and cleared his throat to catch our attention. I gasped in amazement at the elegant creature that graced our presence.

"Tah-dah! Say 'hello' to Buckbeak!" Hagrid announced with his rumbling voice.

"That's a Hippogriff!" I exclaimed, unable to contain my excitement. The noise that left my throat was not human.

Getsuei gave me an amused look, "Behave Jazzy."

I calmed down a bit and gave him a sheepish look in return, "Sorry Shippou."

Refocusing my attention onto the lesson at hand, we watched as everyone stepped back and Harry became the volunteer by default. I held in a chuckle at his slightly terrified gaze, "He shouldn't worry so much, Buckbeak will accept him." I whispered to myself.

"With your 'animal intuition', I have to take your word for it." Getsuei nodded in agreement.

I glared in his direction, "I didn't want your two cents Furry," I shot back, making Getsuei's already messy hair puff in anger.

Before Getsuei could retort, we heard Harry's terrified cry. Looking over towards his direction, all we saw was a flash of grey and black fly over our heads. Blinking in slight surprise, I turned to watch where they went only to see a dot on the horizon.

* * *

~After a few minutes~

I was lying on the grass, running my fingers through my hair when I heard students huddling together and clapping. Getting up and dusting off my robe, I smiled as Hagrid cheered a bit at Harry's success. But the happy atmosphere didn't last long: Draco pushed through the crowd and muttered some words as he sauntered up to the Hippogriff.

The next few seconds were a blur. I acted purely on instinct in a darkened haze. When I finally focused back into reality, I saw Draco behind me on his back with a confused look. My arm was held up protectively in front of my face, three deep gashes staining my robe and skin. I held a blank face as a silence fell upon the clearing, "Draco, don't ever do that again," I spoke without looking at him. "This could have been you so be glad it wasn't." Buckbeak hesitantly walked forward and lightly bumped its head with mine, causing my face to go back to its normal happy look. "Stop it. It's not your fault. Besides it's only a flesh wound!"

"It's almost as bad as that time with the dragon!" Getsuei freaked as he ran over to me.

I dropped my stance and let Getsuei inspect my arm, "It's just a flesh wound." I shrugged in response, spotting Draco still lying on the ground, "Excuse me a sec Shippou." I pulled my arm from Getsuei's grip and crouched in front of Draco, "You okay Draco? Nothing hurts, right?"

Draco only stared up with confusion and slight shock, "Wha-why-tha-"

With a soft smile I grabbed his arm and helped him up, "Come on, you need to head back over to the 'safe zone.' Get going." Draco followed my instructions, still in shock.

"Stop moving Jasmine!" Getsuei was still freaking out.

"I'm fine," I said with exasperation, "it's only a-"

"If you say flesh wound one more time…" Getsuei gave me a stern look.

"…minor scratch? Oh come on, it's not like I'm poisoned this time!"

Hagrid stepped forward, clearing his throat, "Um, just to make sure yer okay, Getsuei can you escort Jasmine to the Hospital Wing?"

I crossed my arms and grumbled as Getsuei lead me to the Hospital Wing.

* * *

_I hope you guys liked this chapter. Please send me any suggestions or possible stories you want to see._

_-Gamma_


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